Nielsen's Delicatessen

Nielsens Delicatessen is a true-to-roots Danish treasure, open since 1952, and every bite is a celebration of craft, love, and nourishment perfected over generations. The combination of deli meats, cheeses, and breads in their carefully curated boxes is nothing short of magical—clearly made with devotion for family, friends, and anyone lucky enough to taste it. The coleslaw—creamy, crisp, and refreshingly cool, with that cucumber-melon vibe—was a delight, and the fruit salad, with perfectly fresh chunks of pineapple, was bursting with sunshine. I could not believe I found delicious spear pickles, each wrapped like tiny gifts—it turned into a sweet, whimsical date for my husband and me. The potato salad was spectacular, rich and comforting in a way that felt like a true homage to tradition. And the pastrami? Absolutely knocked my socks off. The way it was paired with Havarti and pumpernickel was pure genius—who even thinks to do that? The cold box was more than enough for a light, indulgent lunch, and each bite made me shake my head in delight and smile. This isn’t just food—it’s a ritual of nourishment, craft perfected over 73 years, and a testament to the magic of love, care, and tradition in every layer, slice, and sprinkle. Nielsens Delicatessen feeds more than just the body—it feeds the soul and warms the heart, offering a true taste of Danish heritage in every bite.

Terrible, atrocious, experience! We are longtime, possibly a decade long now, regular customers. We have literally poured our money into this place, eating here like once a week, or more. The guy with the mustache always smirks at us, and constantly leaves the cheese outta our, already super expensive, sandwiches! The soups use to be super hot, and delicious. Now they're ice cold, even when you order them in larger sizes! This guy will read your order right back to you WRONG = without cheese! Even after we correct him, and then he freaking SMIRKS at you, as well! The owner is a super nice and kind lady, but how do they say it, "When the cat's away the mice shall play?" When shes not right there, on premise of her business, Don't dare order anything, just walk right straight back outside, and go somewhere where they'll actually appreciate you for your precious money. Whenever the owner lady is not there this place is a nightmare. Wrong orders, left out items on the sandwiches, and ice cold, probably a health violation, soup! We have now taken our business just a few blocks down the same street, on Richmond, to Little Jimmy's Deli. We highly advise you do the same. There's parking behind Little Jimmy's, down Richmond, in the free parking garage just behind the deli.

I walked in as they were about to close and got a salad plate to go. It came with a fruit salad, chicken salad, pasta salad, coleslaw, bread and pickles. The salads are DELICIOUS. Everything's homemade, including their mayo. They also gave me a free cup of their deviled egg to try, which they are apparently famous for, and it did not disappoint! I also purchased a couple of fudge balls (yum!), but their cheesecake... oh man, their cheesecake... it left me and my husband speechless. Wow. Just wow!!!

Best sandwich deli in Houston. Only thing sad is they got rid of their classic look and put in tvs for menus - they should go back to the old school menus they had. Not everything is better new and modern. #keepitclassy

I dream about eating here once a week. Sadly, I only get to eat here once a month or so. It’s the potato salad. It is magical and delicious and what all potato salads should aspire to be. I buy a pint and ration it out so as to enjoy it as long as I can. Which is never long enough.

Simple, clean and tasty sandwich. This shop has clearly been here for a long time and has been churning out consistent quality for a long time. The pastrami sandwich was great but it was very simple. If you like a very straight forward sandwich, this is your place. If you are looking for more complicated and specialty, I would go elsewhere. Overall everyone was friendly and everything is made to order. I would happily come back.

Nielsen is an authentic delicatessen institution in houston. Their game are sandwiches with home made cuts and mayo. The whole ensemble is top notch cold cuts sandwiches and sides that is heavy on the mayo. If you don't like mayo there's probably something on the menu you would like but I'm not sure what that is. I had sweet coleslaw. It was drenched in creamy, sweet sauce and yet still very crunchy (indicating that it appears to be made fresh). I had a wonderful roast beef sandwich on pumpernickel. The roast beef is house made, juicy, and flavorful so it is quite different than your standard roast beef. When i sat for lunch on weekday there was a constant stream of all different kinds of people that you would expect from a place that's been running as long as this place has. It meets a particular sandwich style and does it excellently. I plan on returning for something else.

I moved away from Houston about 25 years ago but always remembered this place. I finally found myself back here and it's exactly the same and delicious. Sandwiches seem bigger. Roast beef on rye with Danish Havarti is signature. Not sure why they haven't been granted some landmark status by the city. Please Nielsen's, never change.

Ordered online for pickup. Food was ready and waiting for me when I got there. Service was fast. I walked in told them I did an online order and was pretty much on my way. The deviled eggs are really good. I'm not a big fan of them at restaurants/delis because a lot of times they're hit or miss. They did not disappoint. The coleslaw was also very good. Upon initial viewing, the potato salad looked really plain. But it tasted really good. It was lightly seasoned and went well with the sandwiches. The sandwiches we got we ordered heavy or extra meat. And they were good. It seems like they have their own mayonnaise here and that's what kicks things up as far as making the eggs and potato salad taste better. I liked it a lot. The inside is a deli, old school style. It was a good experience.

Tried this place for the first time after hearing about it for a while. Went in around lunch time. Seemed quite busy but the service was great and food came out quickly. The roast beef sandwich was gross. The bread was great, but the meat was so stringy and chewy it was hard to bite through. One bite and half the sandwich would come sliding out. Mixed with the mayonnaise-like spread, it just wasn't pleasant at all. I ate half before I had to stop, as the thought of finishing it made me queasy. The potato salad was ok. Didn't have a lot of flavor, but wasn't bad. Was nice and fresh tasting. The chicken salad was SO SALTY it made my stomach churn. I could barely get through a few bites before giving up and tossing the rest. Overall disappointing, especially for the price. Likely won't be returning.

Nielsen's Delicatessen is a simple concept, but I keep going back for more! The staff at Nielsen's Delicatessen are consistently professional and friendly, and they process your order fast and with a warm smile (which is always appreciated). Tip: Try their crab salad sandwich and their stuffed peppers.

I have been here twice. The first time, I made the "mistake" of purchasing the regular size turkey sandwich. It was TOO MUCH for me and I ended up discarding some of the turkey. The second time I knew to order the "junior". The junior is more fitting for me (still maybe a bit much but I almost finished the whole thing). Sandwiches come with Nielsen's signature Mayo and mustard spread. You have to add cheese, lettuce, tomato at an extra cost (understandable). I look forward to trying the chicken and egg salads. Maybe even try their tuna salad one day. I will order the deviled eggs next time, I have heard great things about them. Will be back many times!

Food was bland! We ordered a Turkey sandwich. A corn beef sandwich. Coleslaw. Deviled egg. A brownie and some drinks. The sandwiches looked gorgeous, I can't fault them there. The sandwiches tasted like... nothing. I couldn't even taste their world famous spread. The deviled egg was also flavorless. The coleslaw however did have flavor. But it tasted like sauerkraut, which is not how I imagined. The brownie also didn't taste like a brownie. It just all had no flavor. Root beer was out in the machine. Kind service. Small building.

Can't believe this place has been open my whole life and I'm just discovering it. The vibe here is Sunday afternoon with your grandma and I am here for it. Everyone working is so friendly and wonderful, I felt happier just ordering. My pastrami sandwich has a hefty helping of pastrami (I'll probably have to save my second half) to make room for the deviled eggs (HUGE) and pickle I couldn't leave without. I also got a chocolate chip cookie and brownie. This place is such a gem, service was super quick I didn't even have time to finish reading all the cute history they had up on the wall. That article from Gourmet magazine from way back when requesting their potato salad hit me in the feels. I love how this place is not just a great spot to grab some lunch but a little piece of Houston past tucked away.

It's pretty tasty but expensive, killer deviled eggs though. Need to find a sandwich I really like because the chicken salad is just ok and the crab salad is better

Good is always a winner! Deviled eggs amazing! Love Nielsen's! Been around a long time which tells you everything!

Nielsen's is a iconically Houston. They have been in business ever since I can remember. Very popular with Houston's old guard. The sandwich are piled high with quality meat & their famous spread. If you want lettuce or tomato, be sure to ask. Their potato salad is rich & creamy & has egg Their deviled eggs are delicous & not to be missed. If you like a sweet treat, they offer a soft cheesecake, brownies or cookies. Definitely give this old time deli a try. You'll be hooked!

Looking desperately for a good pastrami sandwich, I found that Nielsen's was on a list of the Top 15 places in Houston for that sandwich. It's near where I live, so I checked it out today. It was a major disappointment in every category. It's a tiny joint with only lunch counter-type seating. The pastrami was cold (NOT a good way to eat pastrami.) They can't toast the bread. The house sandwich spread is a messy paste of mayo and mustard. And the potato salad is heavily, wetly mayonnaise-based--and inedible. All in all, a waste of time and money. Never again.

I've been eating turkey sandwiches from NIelson's since I was a kid and it was in Highland Village. The sandwiches have sadly gotten smaller, and they no longer have the rum cakes, but it's still the best sandwich anywhere and I love the fruit salad! I moved away years ago, but still make it a stop any time I'm in Houston!

I have visited several times since my last review, Houston's lack of quality GENUINE delis constantly brings be back to Nielsen's... this time I tried the egg salad and shared a variety of sides with my wife and daughter, their house made mayo is amazing( house made turkey really good as well... a precinct 1 constable was in there eating seeming to really enjoy it as well, nice to see a police presence on top of that with all of the chaos in our town.

I had lunch here today for the first time. This deli has obviously been here for many years. It wasn't busy today during my visit but I saw a few people come by to pick up their to go orders that they phoned in. My impression is that this place is popular in this neighborhood (Afton Oaks). It has its own parking lot with plenty of room. Inside, the only seats available are stools perched along a bar running along the front windows facing outward. Nothing fancy here at all as it's old school for sure. I ordered a regular sized roast beef on rye with additions of Swiss cheese and lettuce and tomato for $9.85. The sandwich alone was $8.25 with the cheese $1 more and .60 cents more for the veggies. I added a self serve soft drink for another $1.69. Total with tax was almost $13. For a sandwich and drink that's definitely in the loop pricing! The sandwich was ready in about 1 minute after ordering. I will say it was very good. With a big and thick center of roast beef it was a hearty sandwich. It had 2 slices of Swiss, quality lettuce and tomato on very good bread with rare roast beef. Yes, with a cost of almost $10 it was expensive but I could taste the quality. It also came with a pickle spear. If I want a sandwich and in the area this is where I will come. The sign said open 7 days a week closing at 4 p.m. each day.

Absolute best potato salad on the planet! The homemade Mayo makes it super special. Great sandwiches and attentive service. Best to take out as seating is limited. Has gotten a bit pricey through the years, but in an upscale area.

I have been going to and enjoying the great deli sandwiches and other foods at Nielsen's since I moved to Houston in 1970. Has anyone noticed that lately the sandwich meat, which used to be piled on high, is likely half as much meat as they used to serve?

Best potato salad in the US! Sandwiches are amazing. How anyone could rate this less that 5 stars is mind boggling. I'm so glad I found this hidden gem!

I've always been a fan of Nielsen's Chicken Salad sandwiches, but it has been several years since I have stopped to enjoy one. A friend mentioned them, so I called to see if I could place an order curbside. The nice person who answered said only curbside for now which was great to hear! Curbside was easy and efficient, as my sandwich was brought out to me fairly quickly. I thought the chicken salad was great, but I had to look twice at my receipt when I saw I was "charged EXTRA" for lettuce and tomato. I guess I have never encountered this before, so with the up charge for lettuce and tomato plus tax, I paid slightly less than $10.00 for only this sandwich. Now I know you are going to ask me was it worth it especially for such an expensive "chicken salad" sandwich?! Well the taste was very good, but NOT worth the price. Yes it was extremely full of chicken salad as the picture I added shows, but honestly who pays almost $10.00 for a chicken salad sandwich? I know meat prices have increased since the pandemic, but chicken has stayed about the same. I right now can not justify the cost, so a future return will not happen soon! If I was in New York or areas like that, I would expect a higher price, but not in Houston.

First time having lunch at this place that has been here forever... Simple, fresh ingredients, rye bread with roast beef and havarti. It's good to see little deli's like Nielsen's still exist and I love supporting small businesses. Again loved how simple yet satisfying the sandwich was, I will definitely be back.

Classic deli. Always consistent quality and service. The tuna and chicken salad are great. The little cookies they make are super ! Local gem.

Awesome Dutch delicatessen and you can always trust a place that's been around for over 60 years. Houston landmark!!

A classic deli that's under the radar! I love a good sandwich, and this classic deli lives up to its reputation. I had a pastrami on pumpernickel, but the usual suspects were there ham, turkey, roast beef, and corned beef. The sandwiches are cold but stuffed full. They offer a "spread" which is a mustard and mayo combination. They seem to be famous for roast beef and chicken salad. The regulars were popping in, ordering sandwiches, and jumping into their cars, but there is an lovely counter for eating in the shopkeeper There were deviled eggs, cole slaw, stuffed jalapeños, and pickled beets to choose as sides. Check out this spot!

Delicious deli. I love their ham sandwich, deviled eggs, egg salad, & tuna. They are so nice as well!

Great food and great atmosphere. Can't beat Nielsen's when I'm on this side of town. Refreshing to see that people really care

I've been enjoying Nielson's since I moved to Houston in 1978. Best sandwiches on fresh pumpernickel bread!. And the best ice tea anywhere! So good that I now make sure to include time for lunch when I'm in town from Brenham.

For years, I've been curious about Nielsen's and have always heard good things. If they've been in business for 65 years, they must be doing something right. Yesterday, I finally made my way there. Pastrami sandwich was absolutely delicious. They use high quality meats and cheeses and pile it on high. They make their own bread from scratch. I don't eat much bread, so this was a real treat. I didn't know when the next time I would be in the neighborhood, so that was my excuse to try both the fresh made cookies and their cheesecake. I was a real pig that day, but I was in heaven. Everything was incredible. You have to save room for dessert, just take half your sandwich home if you have to. You have to try the cheesecake. The staff was nice and friendly. It's an old-timey deli that just made us feel good about life.

I have been going to Nielsen's for more than 50 years. My mom used to go when they were in Highland Village. The Andersons are lovely people and have been greeting me with welcome smiles all that time. Linda Anderson always treats her customers like she has known them for years and for many of their customers, she has. The food is always consistent and of the highest quality. It is a family run business and it shows. Their sandwiches are always wonderful. I had ordered roast beef on pumpernickel for decades and one day, the original Mrs. Anderson, sadly no longer with us, asked me why I never got Cole slaw on the sandwich. FYI, it is the only way to eat a roast beef sandwich and I have gotten it that way ever since. I also love pastrami on rye. Their crab dip on their spiced toasts is also wonderful and for my money, their potato salad is like no other potato salad I have ever eaten. OMG!!

$13 + for a simple egg salad sandwich and a bag of chips? It's an outrage! Will not be going back.

Picked up turkey sandwiches, deviled eggs, and cream cheese jalapenos from here for a nice weekend lunch. I loved their homemade mayo! So creamy and flavorful. The deviled eggs are swirled beautifully and so yum. I thought the jalapenos had way too much cream cheese. They were also very spicy. Overall excellent service in this homey deli!

Let me first start off by saying I am a sandwich person, love them eat them all the time. So I was pretty excited when my girlfriend suggested we try this place instead of going to eat tacos. But man what a major let down. I got chicken salad on rye, potato salad, and a deviled egg. My girlfriend got a turkey on rye. The chicken salad was so unimpressive, plain Jane, no taste, chicken and mayonnaise basically. There was nothing to brag about nothing to write home about. Disappointing to say the least. The turkey on rye was literally just turkey breast and mayo on rye bread. No lettuce no tomato nothing to jazz it up. So basically boring and tasteless. The deviled egg was in the same fashion, tasteless and bland. I'm pretty sure their filling is just egg yolks and mayonnaise with paprika. No pickle no nothing. I took one bite and didn't eat the rest The potato salad had eggs in it and was basically potatoes and mayo maybe a little onion. But all in all, not good. And pretty damn expensive. We got 2 sandwiches 2 drinks, a small potato salad and 2 deviled eggs and it was 30 bucks. A little steep for a shitty sandwich and lunch. The only reason I'm giving it 2 stars is because it is a small family owned joint. And I'm always down to support local businesses.

Sometimes you just need a little comfort food. Good place for it. Fresh bread, nice size sandwiches, delicious meats, Not many people like liverwurst but they have the best. The corned beef and pastrami is a great choice also. Easy to call and order. Pull up to the numbered spaces, give them a call, and it's contact less delivery to your car.

Ummmmmm... PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT THESE DEVILED EGGS ARE GROSS!!! All of you that are saying these are good are clearly delusional and an unreliable source for good food. I was so excited to try the deviled eggs ALL based off the reviews ive seen on yelp. And I feel betrayed by my fellow yelpers. The deviled egg itself looks gorgeous, a little deprived of color but still amazing presentation. But after one bite it tasted like pure chemicals. Now unless one of the employees whipped me up a special egg full of poison, they need to shut the deviled egg department down baby let me tell you. AND who the hell doesn't include lettuce and tomato in their sandwich?!!!!! An extra 60¢!!! Really??? Really?????? $1 extra for cheese... sure ok. I got the turkey sandwich and the turkey is really fresh and actually pretty impressive. But that is the only thing I'm impressed with. I paid $14 for a turkey sandwich with lettuce and cheese, a poisonous deviled egg, a bag of chips and a cookie. WHERE IS JIMMY JOHNS WHEN I NEED THEM. Shaking my head. Y'all really losing y'all marbles in 2019 to hold certain places in high esteem. I get it, they've been here for years.... but ummm no. They not worth it.

The 2 words that come to mind when describing their sandwiches are fresh and flavorful. Meat to bread ratio is perfect and their "special" spread is excellent. Service is quick and the food is fantastic. Try it, you will not be disappointed.

This place is like a little blast from the past. It has to be in business because of longtime customers in surrounding neighborhoods. I ended up getting a turkey sandwich on white with cheddar. They charge you for tomato, lettuce, and cheese. The sandwich had a lot of meat but was unfortunately pretty bland. Not bad, not great. It is a local spot so if you want to support small business it is worth a shot.

If this was a review on the potato salad alone I would be giving it 5 stars. But, the price of the food for what you get; I definitely have to take away one. So it was my first time here and I got the roast beef sandwich, with lettuce, tomato, and swiss cheese, and a dixie cup side of potato salad. They did not tell me that each topping was a whole EXTRA dollar. Okay, naive? Sure. When I finally checked out for all of that, and skipping a drink it was 14 dollars. Damn. For one person. But as I got home, I realized the potato salad was something special. I was looking up ways to make it? What are the INGREDIENTS?!! MUST MAKE POTATO SALAD!! MUST FIND SECRET RECIPE!!

Have you changed your mayo and Potato salad recipes? I've been a customer since the late 60's and your food has always been the same...perfect. However, my last visit was a bit underwhelming. Something has changed and not for the better.

I've been coming to Nielsen's for the last 5 years semi-religiously. Yes, the prices may seem "steep" but they are well worth it. My go to sandwich is a ham, pastrami and turkey with Swiss on white (extra pickle spear and a deviled egg). I must tell you, the spread is a must, so don't hold it. I love this place and hope it sticks around for generations to come

Best Egg Salad I have ever had. Home made mayonnaise, used in their very excellent egg salad, served on simple white or wheat. Super Comfort Food!

Worst sandwich of my life. No taste, dry as ever, bad "homemade sauce" and the pricing is ridiculous. The potato salad is out of a can. I definitely will not be going back or recommending. $30 dollars for 2 sandwiches that look like this...

So good! Fresh bread, fresh meat and homemade Mayo in the spread. Try it some time, they've been at it over 60 years.

I've been to this place a few times and will definitely be back. Love that it's a family business, was never a fan of potato salad but theirs is awesome! Also the deviled eggs are great! I've also their beef and turkey sandwiches are awesome!

This place is very good. Everything is very fresh and the people working there are very nice. I especially like the roast beef as well as the tuna. The egg salad is also great. The food can be pricey, but less so if you order it by the weight or container size (rather than as a sandwich).

this is literally the best deli EVER. simple and delicious. every single time. been coming here for years and hope this place stays around forever. i suggest the turkey sandwich or the chicken salad. make sure you get the house spread!!!

I been customer for over 25 yrs. I remember the box lunch was $7.50 now the same contents $18. And the sandwiches are still good, the brownies and pickles are the same. The potato salad and fruit salad are horrible. The potato salad was a signature dish, the fruit salad was a topper. Now the potato salad is lacking eggs and full of celery. The fruit salad is mainly apples. I'm sure the economy has played s part in the prices but the quality should still remain the same. I spent $40 for a box lunch and a salad plate that was very disappointing.

I love this place - I only wish it was in Austin (hence I can't give it 5 stars). Every time I am in Houston, I stop by this small storefront delicatessen (basically a couple of cold cases, cash register, and 6-7 stools if you choose to eat there). I love the roast beef and turkey that they use in their sandwiches (I think the turkey is roasted in house). The bread is as good as it gets - toothsome dark pumpernickel, excellent rye, etc. The mayo is housemade. Brownies, the same. They also make some great crouton-like garlic toast that works well with soups and salads (not something you can get at Nielsen's). Nielsen's is a family-owned business. They are on their fourth generation of in-house management. And it shows. It's a "Danish" deli which means that NY deli fare (knishes, etc.) are not available. I can't fault this place at ALL. Check it out.

Been eating sandwiches there for 40 years never disappointed sandwiches potato salad really everything is great . The sandwich to get is roast beef on white with the spread potato salad delicious...... 2019 came back today to eat my sandwich. This restaurant is nice warm friendly pleasant to go to. They treat you like family right when you come in the door and make sure that you have everything you need.

We always plan at least one or two take-out meals from Nielsen's when we visit Houston. Sadly, from our most recent experience at this iconic Houston eating spot, it seems Nielsen's isn't what it used to be. We visited two days ago on our first trip to Houston since 2018. While the teens who served us were extremely polite young men, they perhaps need more training on the art of making sandwiches. The roast beef my husband ordered was literally swimming in mayonnaise, to the point that the bread was too soggy to even pick up and eat after the short 5 minute drive back to our hotel. And so was the potato salad ... much more "liquid" than usual. My chicken salad, on the other hand, was a bit dry but tasted as good as I remember from years past. The highlight was the amazing butter cookies that were delicious, as always. But the rest of our meal was disappointing, particularly given that the soggy sandwich was essentially inedible. We'll certainly try them again on our next trip and hope that this last visit was just an outlier.

Fast and yummy. I'm a chicken salad connoisseur and this one is definitely one of the best!

Just a simple sandwich place with no frills in a good way. This is not a hipster fusion place but straight deli sandwiches for a bygone era. Ensure you get the spread and danish cheese.

This is a lovely old-school deli with Danish roots (believe original owners immigrated from Denmark). Definitely a hidden gem tucked away in Afton Oaks near the Galleria. I drove by it many times and didn't try it until a friend told me how good it is. Make sure you try the mayonnaise - as a sandwich spread or in one of their salads - it's homemade and delicious! Deviled eggs, egg salad and potato salad are all are great. Also like their pastrami on rye. So happy to have a deli like this in Houston!

On my way to work going up Richmond, see the train crossing ahead, bout to make a U-turn, hold up, Nielsen's opens at 8:00am, quick and friendly service for take-out, had one the best roast beef sandwiches on white with extra spread in recent memory, the dixie cup of egg salad was fresh and tasty. Let's just say it was a killer breakfast, yes, breakfast!! Doing it again this week!! I can see why this place has been killing it for 60+ years!